The following United States Letters patents comprise the closest known prior art:
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,830,833, 2,066,531, 3,193,205, 3,586,239, 2,564,465, 3,385,525, 3,929,288.
There are known in the prior art many sprinkler systems for dispersing water over an earthen area to sustain crops or decorative plantings thereon. These systems often employ extensive water supply pipes which are buried in the earth, and thus require plumbing tools and skills for installation. Because of the extensive plumbing required, and also because of the trenches which must be dug to bury the supply pipes, these systems are far too expensive for the average home owner.
The patents cited above for their exemplary showing of prior art also point out another shortcoming of the prior art. These devices generally employ some adjustment mechanism to vary the spray patterns emanating from the sprinkler. These adjustment mechanisms also affect the water output rate of the sprinkler devices. For example, if one selects a wide angle, fine mist spray pattern, the water output is generally extremely restricted. Conversely, if one chooses a narrow angle, more vertical water stream, the water output is extremely high. The prior art is thus deficient in that none of the sprinkler devices permit independent adjustment of the spray pattern and the water flow rate.